When’s the last time you went to an amazing conference, or at least one special enough to rave about? For conference hosts, the pressure is on to increase conference participation and audience engagement by providing quality content well beyond watching a speaker on a stage reading off of a PowerPoint presentation. Anyone can read articles about the topics your speakers are presenting, so a conference needs to offer more than just content on slide after slide. So how do you create an event that provides value that matches the good money they’re paying to be there? Exchange PowerPoints for powerful play. Gamify your event with interactive ideas to increase conference participation.

Far be it for us to stand in the way of fun, whatever the form, but we’ve noticed a trend lately: Some organizations are blurring the line between team building and recreation. Most corporate adventures pursued under the guise of team building sound ridiculously fun—excursions that include bungee jumping, paintball, GoKart racing, rock climbing and so on. And while we whole-heartedly approve of the spirit of these exploits, there is a key distinction between recreation and team building.

The key to a successful corporate reorganization consists of two elements in equal parts: seamless implementation and team member support of the initiative. Without the latter, a company risks investing time, energy and resources into a process that may not be adopted smoothly.

During this year’s suspense-filled World Series, many people experienced the joy of cheering for a team who, seemingly against the odds, might win. This phenomenon is called “the underdog effect,” and psychologists have documented it, running tests where people overwhelmingly choose to support the team least likely to win.